Choosing the right desexing package for your pet
at Russell Vale Animal Clinic
We hope this information will help you,
the pet owner make an informed decision,
on choosing the right desexing package
for your family pet.
 |
| Desexing is a Sterile Surgery, it is the first major surgery your pet is likely to have. |
At Russell Vale Animal Clinic, we have been offering two levels
of desexing care for all pets since
2000, but even so, it still raises
eyebrows, and “really” comments from many new pet owners when they are doing
the “shop around” phone call for a desexing price.
I can only think this is so because most pet owners still do
not understand what the surgery procedure actually involves, and as such, do
not realise that things can and do go wrong. Fortunately, complication rates
are rare at Russell Vale Animal Clinic, but they can happen to the best of us.
All about desexing.
Desexing for a female pet is a full ovario – hysterectomy – we surgically
remove both ovaries and both uterine horns. It is not a “tying of the tubes” as
occurs in women.
For a male pet, it is an orchidectomy – we surgically remove both
testicles. It is not a “vasectomy” as occurs in men.
It is a procedure that is performed once, and is usually the
first surgical procedure under anaesthetic that your pet will ever under go.
Just because it is an everyday, routine, common procedure
does not mean it is any less serious than any other procedure which involves an
anaesthetic.
What are your desexing packages? And why do you offer both?
We have a “Standard” and “Deluxe” (otherwise known as my
pamper pack), which gives you, the pet owner, a choice in the level of comfort.
The Standard package is similar to what many other
veterinary hospitals offer, except we also include post operative pain relief
(first 24 hours) and we also do intradermal (dissolving) skin sutures for your
pet’s comfort. There is no need for 10
day revisits for suture removals.
Quality pain relief
is not an “extra” option at Russell Vale Animal Clinic. However, take home pain relief is an extra
option, if you need that extra piece of mind.
Our Standard desexing is suited to those pet owners on a
limited budget, but still demand quality.
The Deluxe package is unique to Russell Vale Animal Clinic
as it provides so many extra features - it really is a “pamper pack”. It is more suited to those pet owners who want
the very best for their family member.
What do both packages offer in common ?
They both include a full physical examination, as well as
the hospital stay, individual anaesthetic plan including a pain management
plan. All desexing procedures are
performed in our state of the art operating theatre, using modern anaesthetic
medications.
The pain management plan includes sedation before the
procedure, as well as pain control during and in the immediate recovery
time. It also includes medications which
offer 24 hours of post operative pain relief too.
Detailed home care notes as well as a Certificate of
Desexing will be given to you also.
Oops – I almost forgot – of course it includes the actual
surgery itself. All equipment is either
single use or autoclavable, and all sutures materials are individually packed
for maximum sterility. Dissolving skin
sutures mean no need for uncomfortable external sutures, and nothing for the
pet to lick or tug at, and definitely no need for suture removal in 10-14 days
as occurs in other veterinary hospitals.
If the Standard package is so comprehensive, why should I
choose the Deluxe package? In other
words, is it really necessary?
As a vet, I believe every pet deserves the “deluxe” package,
as I can see the difference in how they cope with the anaesthetic, and I know
the difference in the way they recover and feel over all. And whenever my pets needed to be desexed, I
also chose the deluxe package for them.
Will
you notice the difference when you come to pick them up? Probably not.
But you pet will experience the difference.
In short, the Deluxe “Pamper Pack” is a comprehensive, inclusive package which is
unique to Russell Vale Animal Clinic.
What are the “extras” in the Deluxe Package?
·
It starts with pre-anaesthetic blood tests,
o
where we
check your pet’s liver, kidneys and blood sugar. We check the blood count, and make sure that
there are not any hidden surprises.
Perfectly healthy looking pets can have congenital liver or kidney
problems, which can mean death under anaesthetic.
o
With our cats, the pre-anaesthetic blood tests
also includes the Feline Triple – which is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus,
Feline Heartworm Disease and Feline Leukemia Virus.
o
With our dogs, it also includes Heartworm
Testing if indicated (i.e pet older than six months)
·
Intravenous fluids – or “going onto the drip”.
o
An intravenous catheter (known as cannula in the
human side), is placed, and sterile intravenous fluids are administered. This helps support your pet before, during and after the
anaesthetic.
o
The fluids flush the medications through the
kidneys, as well as maintains blood pressure throughout.
·
Local Anaesthetic
o
As part of our pain management program, local
anaesthetic is applied to the areas which are ligated or cut, to give extra
pain relief during the recovery phase.
·
Post Operative Pain Relief is dispensed
o
Injectable pain relief is given before and
after, which offers up to 24 hours of pain relief, but we also dispense extra
medication to give that night (for a comfy night’s sleep), and for the next few
days also.
o
We do know that pain slows healing, and we also
know our pets hide their pain.
o
We do know that all surgery is painful and that
our pets feel pain as we do –they just don’t complain as loudly as we do.
·
Radiographs – either “Hip Dysplasia” or “Full
Mouth Dental Radiographs” depending on the pet
o
A full dental examination is performed in all
pets. But we do know that toy breeds
commonly have dental issues, such as unerupted teeth, missing teeth, retained
baby teeth (just to name a few). In
these breeds, full mouth dental radiographs are required to check the oral
health.
§
This is perfect for all brachycephalic dogs
(such as pugs, Boxers, Shih Tzu’s) where we know that unerupted teeth, missing
teeth or extra teeth are common.
§
This is perfect for all toy breeds where unerupted
or missing teeth are very common.
§
The most common dental procedure performed is
the surgical extraction of retained baby teeth, and extraction of unerupted
first premolars.
§
We were the first in the Illawarra to offer dental
radiographs, and we remain the most experienced.
o
In those pets where dental charting shows no
obvious problems, but who may be at higher risk of hip dysplasia, then we do
hip xrays instead
§
Hip Dysplasia radiographs are the “Extended Frog
Leg View”, and can be diagnostic even in young pets. Identifying this problem early, increases the options available to make your pet more comfortable long term.
Do you have any other questions which the information here
did not answer? Feel free to email me or
call us directly on 0242845988.
Do you want to know more about how much this procedure costs with us? It's all on my website.www.animalclinic.com.au
I am Dr Liz, the mad vet of Russell Vale Animal Clinic. We love looking after all animals, and try to do the best we can for each and every one, even for something as "routine" as a pet's desexing.
Are you ready to book your pet in? Then you can book online or call us on
0242845988.
